1. Field of Invention
The invention generally is related to the area of computer video gaming, and more particularly related to techniques for creating and interacting with a three-dimensional (3D) game space that is shared over a network. The 3D game space is created and maintained from information about players' morphologies and possibly their real-world environments, where the movements of the players in the real world are interpreted so as to create a shared feeling of physical proximity and physical interaction with other players on the network. Players are able to jointly interact with virtual entities and objects within the 3D game space.
2. Related Art
The Nintendo Wii Remote™ wireless controller is an example of the most recent state of the art advances in user interactive controllers for computer display game systems. It is a movable wireless remote controller hand-held by a user. It uses built-in accelerometers to sense movement, which can be combined with infrared detection to obtain positional information in a 3D space when pointed at LEDs within the reach of a sensor bar. This design allows users to control a game using physical gestures, pointing, and traditional button presses. The controller connects to a console using Bluetooth and features a “rumble pack”, that can cause the controller to vibrate, as well as an internal speaker. As a user moves the controller in reacting to a display, the controller transmits sensor data to the console via conventional short range wireless RF transmissions to simulate interactions of the users with the game being displayed.
With the popularity of the Nintendo Wii videogame system, more advanced videogame systems are being sought to get a player more involved in a game being played. The disclosure presented herein describes methods and systems for creating and interacting with three-dimensional (3D) virtual game spaces that are shared over a network. The 3D virtual game space is created, combined or stitched together from information including the capabilities and setup of cameras and inertial sensors, and/or information obtained from cameras and inertial sensors about players and their real world environments. The movements of the players in the real world are detected by cameras and/or inertial sensors and those movements are interpreted so as to create a shared feeling of physical proximity and physical interaction with other players on the network. The movements are typically able to be viewed and allow both joint and solitary interaction with virtual entities and objects within the 3D virtual play area.